I’ve been asked this question many times. Answer: It depends upon your ultimate job goal and the number of steps to get there.

First, define your objective. Examples: If you want to become the CFO of a major corporation, the number of job changes is different than if your objective is to be an accountant in a small manufacturing plant. The first number could be 10 steps; the second number may be 2.

Then you need to define your expectations, which changes with each generation.

Grandpa waited until his boss moved up or out. It could take 20 years.

Boomers changed jobs about 2 times in their first 10 years

Gen Xers averaged 3 job changes in 10 years

And Millennial’s are jumping 4 times in their first 10 years.

Why is job-hopping occurring faster and faster over time? Some reasons have to do with the highs and lows of the economy, companies that see employees as disposable, and changing skills needed in technology. Many employees don’t accept loyalty to a company, but rather they are loyal to their profession or themselves. Their first job is now called an entry-point and not the start of a career.

New graduates have always been more restless than those who are already in the workforce. They want to move up the ladder quicker. One way to do that is to change jobs, either within the company or to another company. If a talented individual doesn’t see a path for advancement or isn’t engaged in a development program, there’s no reason for them to remain in place while others move around them. A second reason is status and money. A move or promotion brings a higher title and more money (maybe 20%) than smaller performance raises (maybe 1 to 4%).

In order to move up the career ladder quicker, you must:

Accumulate knowledge, skills and abilities as rapidly as possible in each job

Learn to excel at your current job in a shorter period of time than others

Move up at the first chance, once you have mastered the job you’re in

So how do you manage your job change philosophy?

STEP 1 – Define your goal. But make sure you understand the impact of what you decide

STEP 2 – Define your expectations. Make sure they are realistic or you’ll be frustrated

STEP 3 – Find a model to follow: Someone who has done what you want to do

STEP 4 – Develop an initial strategy: Where do you need to be at each step, and when

STEP 5 – Get the education, certifications, experiences, skills and contacts you’ll need in order to reach your goal. Modify your career plan as you move forward.

One other caveat: The marketplace is changing daily, as is technology and new ways of doing things. Make sure you’re at the leading edge of that change in your field or your career plan isn’t worth a lot.

Your cover letter can be an asset or a liability. If it’s a liability that diminishes your candidacy by an ineffective presentation, don’t use one. It’s an asset if the hiring manager is motivated to review your resume. Some critical errors to avoid:

Your cover letter lacks “potency”: Think of your cover letter as an “appetizer” to a terrific meal. If it’s dull and unappealing, the expectations for the resume will be low. View your cover letter as a strong “marketing” vehicle for what’s to come. Many cover letters read like a book and are ignored or leave a bad impression. Convert it to a convincing endorsement.

The cover letter is too long: Using the cover letter as a narrative about your career is a mistake. The cover letter needs to be short and strong. Match measurable results to the key items in the position description. If they’re looking for an experienced process improvement supervisor, use a bullet point, “A 12% increase in productivity through process improvement technology”. They’ll want to see the how you achieved that result in your resume.

You miss the core of what they need: A generic cover letter misses the opportunity to make a positive impression. The position description will tell you what the hiring manager needs. Matching the critical elements with results will get you noticed. Usually the top 5 items on the position description are the most important. Match them to your measureable results with bullet points of achievement. That will get the hiring manager’s attention.

Overexposure to the word “I”: One individual seldom achieves all results. Show yourself as a “team” player with a unique individual contribution. Focus on what the hiring manager is seeking. Done the right way, the hiring manager will see you as a contributor within a work group. Example: “Your goal of a high performance team reflects my management and operating style”.

Don’t list irrelevant experiences: Don’t wander into side issues that take the hiring manager’s mind off of your competencies. Irrelevant material will draw the reader away from your primary objective. Never criticize your current company. The cover letter should make a positive impression as a prelude to your resume.

Don’t use humor, inflated words or arrogance: Humor can work against you. Inflated words about how great you are can be worse. The worst of all is arrogance. When hyped-up words are used, your veracity is questioned, “How could all those accomplishments be achieved in such a short period of time?”

You’ll never get a second chance to make a good first impression. If the cover letter is not done right, you start from a weak position. In summary, the cover letter should:

Highlight three to five key result areas that directly parallels the open position

Translate how your experiences can create successes for the hiring manager.

Congratulations! The hiring manager must really be interested in you since you’ve gotten this far in the interview,. If you haven’t been given the opportunity to ask your own questions, your candidacy is over. Hiring managers who aren’t interested in responding to questions you have about the job or the company, isn’t interested in you as a candidate. Or better yet, you shouldn’t be interested in them.

So what are the questions you should ask that will make you a top candidate? Let’s start off with the questions you shouldn’t ask: Questions about compensation, benefits, vacation, moving allowance, bonuses, and the like. Why? These are the items you can discuss and negotiate after you get an offer, not before. When a hiring manager is convinced that you are the best person for the job, that’s the best time for discussion and negotiations.

The questions you should ask at this stage of the interview are those that position you as a competent contributor, who will add value to the organization and achieve results in the short and long term. How do you do that? By asking questions of the hiring manager like:

What are the issues that you need to find solutions for in the short term?

What performance is expected in order for key results to be achieved?

What are the strategies that need to be implemented in the longer term?

This type of question positions you as a results-oriented candidate wanting to know the expectations of the organization, and what you need to do to be a top performer.

The way in which the hiring manager answers these questions will tell you:

The depth, extent and complexity of issues you will be facing. Manageable?

The expectations of the hiring manager. Too high? Unrealistic time-frame?

Your potential success longer term? Opportunity for promotion?

The openness of the hiring manager to your questions? Skimpy or free-form?

The business acumen of the hiring manager. Can you learn from him?

How the hiring manager views your potential. Is he looking for alternatives from you? Does he ask how you would approach the potential solution? Can you translate your past successes to the issues of the open job?

If the hiring manager responds in this way, chances are that you are the top candidate for this position. If he can’t or won’t answer your questions, ask why.

You don’t match up with the requirements of the open position. You can save yourself a great deal of disappointment if you parallel at least 70% of the position description. Anything less and your wasting your time. The higher the percent the greater your chances.

You don’t fit the culture. Everyone has a “sweet spot”: An industry and organization where they are comfortable and can contribute. The further out from your core, the more difficulty.

Your expectations are too high. Most hiring managers won’t take a risk with someone below a 60% chance of success, and only with someone who has been successful before.

Your resume reads well for the hiring manager but not for his boss. The bosses boss is usually looking for a longer term contributor which may not be on the position description

Your resume and your social media information are not compatible or say different things. The hiring organization won’t take the time to sort it out when they have other candidates.

RESUMES ARE TOSSED IMMEDIATELY:

If you send a photo or a “head shot” as part of your resume. The company is only interested in your achievements, not looks. However, Germany, France and Italy seek photos

Resumes that have large gaps in the work history. Unless you can explain “holes” in your resume, companies won’t take the time to hear your story.

Negative comments in your resume are poison to hiring organizations. You want to build a positive image of your achievements, not negative comments about bosses or employers

If you list your “demands” on the resume, chances it will be tossed, like: “I’m looking for a Directors title”, or a compensation level above the going rate, or other front-end demands

E-mail addresses that are frowned upon, like:, or Joker12 @….., or JustMarried@…… or BurningRubber@… and so on. Use an email address that projects a professional persona.

Paragraphs and narratives that run on too long without defining achievements or results. Just listing activities or responsibilities does not impress hiring managers. They usually find them boring and commonplace among all the other resumes. Yours resume must stand out.

Your resume and the words you use must project competence and potential. Identify your contributions, market your results, then minimize the things that diminish your image and you’ll do great.

Ever wonder why your career isn’t getting the kind of traction you need? You may be making mistakes that automatically put your career in a stall. Assess your career against some of these common errors to see if you can ignite a new outcome.

#1 – Your Start Point – Careers are sidetracked because they’re started by what’s convenient rather than what’s strategically smart. Some jobs are easy to acquire but get you nowhere. Your career direction is hard to change once you’re in it.

#2 – Passion – Many talented individuals find themselves in a job, company or industry that they don’t find energizing and for which they can’t develop a passion. Very successful people have a passion for what they do. Lacking passion means a lack of success.

#3 – Point of Focus – Focus on a high level of performance or you’ll fall short of expectations. Your energy has to be centered on what you can do for the organization, rather than what they can do for you. It’s a relationship based on mutual results.

#4 – Shorter-term Steps – Don’t start by looking at an ultimate long-range goal that may be out of reach, without obtaining shorter-term objectives as stepping-stones. Every dream is achievable through a series of successes that take you to the next step forward.

#5 – Key Results – Hiring managers want to know what makes you different. Is it a long list of your responsibilities? No, because everyone has those. Is it your pay level? No, because you may be overpaid. It’s your results! No one can replicate your achievements.

#6 – Poor strategy – You may stay too long in an industry or job and fall behind or not have enough time to gain the experience you need for the next level. If you’re in the wrong industry, get out as soon as possible. Too much time and you’ll be pigeonholed.

#7 – Underestimating Your Value – Value is determined by expectations, contributions and time. High performance must be defined, measured and communicated.

#8 – Articulation – If you can’t effectively communicate your contributions, how can a potential boss see your value? You must “market” your experiences, value and your worth.

#9 – Lack of a Network – Most jobs are found through people you know and who understand your potential. Others need to help you find the next job. Networking is critical.

#10 – Never, Ever Give Up – As they say, “It only takes one”. You may apply to 100 job openings, but the one that is tailor made for you has to be discovered. Keep digging.

In summary:

Take time to discover your passion/strengths and what you really want to do

Design your strategies and focus on the next two steps

Learn how to present your value in a way that is relevant to your targets

Align yourself with the companies that best fit your career direction and style

Find a mentor to pull you up and mentor those below who will push you up your career

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How do you impress the hiring manager? What gets attention? What gets skipped? When a hiring manager screens a pile of resumes, certain things jump out, while others do not.

Understand that the hiring manager is looking for 10 or 15 people out of a 100 that he wants to telephone-screen. These are the people who have something the hiring manager wants: A specific result, some needed experience, or a practical solution to an immediate problem. After reading your resume the hiring manager should say, “This is someone I want to talk to, as they have the skills or experience that I need”.

Generally, these are the items that get more attention from the hiring manager:

Results (especially metrics) that parallel what I’m looking for to fill the position. If you don’t have the skills and experiences that can do the job, I’m not going to waste my time.

Companies that you worked for that I recognize: In the same industry, same job scope, or a competitor where I can learn something. That can be an advantage to you.

Do you have career progression over time? Do you have increasing responsibilities that will benefit my organization?

What are the “stall” points, gaps, things that don’t make sense? Did you take time off to travel around the world? Raise young children? Start your own company? Why hide it?

Have you only been in one place for an extended period of time? Are you constrained by location and not be available when I need you?

Is the resume organized and error free? If you can’t do that well, why even talk to you?

I want to know if you’ll peak out early or continue to advance my organization.

Generally, these are the items that get glossed over initially or get you demerits:

Your school name is less important than your major and level of education. Experience and results achieved is much more important to me than your Alma mater.

Decorative or lavishly formatted resumes usually take away from important information. It’s distracting. Attach a portfolio of your work if you feel the need.

Don’t include a photo. If I want to see what you look like, I’d be hiring you for the wrong reason. I want qualities in a person that don’t show up in a photograph.

Personal information that has nothing to do with the job. Your personal issues are of little interest unless it affects the job.

Too many words like I, me, my, and not enough words like we, team, group results.

Superlatives about how wonderful you are that can’t be verified: “Creative solutions leader”, “Strong manager”, “Multi-talented professional”, “Collaborated with, contributed to, or assisted in” (means you were a minor player).

Have you stayed too long in one place, or have fallen into a “maintenance mode”? I can’t afford a hiring mistake.

You usually get only one chance to impress the hiring manager. Make it count.

Bill Kaufmann

Bill is a business professional with over 40 years working for some of the biggest and brightest corporations in the United States. Now he has turned his attention towards helping others achieve similar heights in their own professional careers through his blog and personal coaching business.

Interested in utilizing Bill as a personal coach? Learn more by emailing him directly at wkaufmann44@gmail.com